This is a must-have nymph to have in your arsenal to represent this phase of the caddis fly. With the fully metallic slimline body courtesy of the wire and the tungsten bead, this is a great nymph for getting down quickly to the bottom.
Good for high flows or situations when the fish are holding hard on the bottom, this nymph is a dynamite fish catcher. If you don’t have Glister for the thorax, it is easy enough to substitute in some peacock herl for a very similar effect.
CDC bead-head caddis nymph tying instructions
Step 1
Add a bead (tungsten or brass, depending on the preferred sink rate) to the hook.
Step 2
Lay down a thread base to an equivalent position on the hook shank to the barb
Step 3
Tie in the green wire
Step 4
Create a body by wrapping the hook shank with concentric turns of the green wire.
Step 5
Take a CDC feather and strip a few barbules off both sides close to the tip to create a tie-in point. Tie in the feather by the tip and trim off the tip.
Step 6
Take two or three wraps around the hook with the feather, then take a couple of wraps back towards the rear to get the CDC fibers to point back.
Step 7
Twist on some brown glister dubbing onto the thread.
Step 8
Take a couple of turns back dubbing towards the rear to form a thorax.
Step 9
Whip finish. Then shorten CDC fibers by pinching them between thumb and finger of right hand and plucking with the left. Go and catch some trout!
